Tobacco-curing house



'(NO Model.)v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. H. 8v H. A. POWER. Y TOBAOOO OURINO HOUSE. NO. 425,696. Patented A151. 15, 1890.

THE NDRRKS PETERS CD PNDYO'LITHO WASHINGTON D C (No Model.) 2 sheets-sheen 2.

W. H. & H. A. POWER.l TBAGO GURING HOUSE.

No. 425,696. PatveptedApr. 15, 1890.

I-Jll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM HENRY POVER'AND HENRY ADOLPHUS POIRIER, OF RINGGOLD, VIRGINIA.

TOBACCO-CURING HOUSE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,696, dated April 15, 1890.

Application'illed January 14, 1888. Serial No. 260,716. (No model.)

T a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM HENRY POWER and HENRY ADoLPHUs POWER, citizens of the United States, residing at Ringgold, in the county of Pittsylvania and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Curing Houses, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in tobacco-curing houses, the objects being to hasten the process and prevent the tobacco from heating; and it consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l represents alongitudinal vertical section of the improved tobacco-curing house through one of the fire-boxes.

Fig. 2 represents acentral transverse vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view with the roof and floor removed. Fig. 4 represents a plan view of the sectional removable iioor with the doors therein. Fig. 5 isa perspective view of one of the tobacco-sticks.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the walls of the house, and B the roof thereon, having the central ridge and the two inclined sides of usual construction. l) b are end doors in the gables just below the ridge, and closed by a latch and keeper or by other suitable devices.

C is the removable iioor extending from wall to wall immediately below the eaves and made in sections c c, as shown, for its more easy removal.

D D are transverse beams arranged in vertical series and extending from front to rear of the curing-house, the series and the members of each series being a suitable and convenient distance apart for handling the tobacco.

E E are tobacco-sticks rectangular in crosssection and each having a series of 4pins e e secured to and standing at right angles outward from two of its opposite sides, the members of the series on one side being situated between those on the opposite side. The sticks have their ends rested on adjacent beams D, with the pins extending frontward and backward for the reception of the stems F F are fire-boxes of suit-able construction secured Within the house near the iioor and against one side thereof and adjacent to the front and back. These boxes are closed by the hanging doors f, hinged to the side. From the said boxes extend longitudinallythe flues 6o G, which,'when near the opposite side, bend inward at right angles for a short distance and then longitudinally in the reverse direction, forming the reflex bends g and the return-lines G', which pass out of the side, 65

against which are secured the lire-boxes, and then bend vertically upward, as at g', and have on their outer end the cowls g2 to prevent smoke from blowing into the house.

H H are Ventilating-tubes secured to the 7o front and rear walls of the house at suit-able points below the vertical series of beams and provided with theperforations h h in their sides and closed inner ends. The said Ventilatingtubes have their mouths inthe front and rear walls of the house closed by the disk-shaped caps I, having the curved leaf-springs 1l c' secured to their concave inner sides, which springs enter the open outer ends of the ventilating-tubes, and by springing against the 8o sides thereof hold the caps in place.

The sections cof the removable iioor C are supported by suitable joists and girders, and are provided at suitable points with doors,

giving communication between the compart- S5 ments above and below the floor.

The doors are preferably arranged as follows: .I is a central door covering a larger doorway than the others and having the ladder j attached to the section c, to which it is 9o attached, the ladder being swung to the edge of the doorway, as shown. The doors K are arranged around the central door J at proper points in the corner-sections of the floor.

The method of treating the tobacco is as follows: The ventilators being closed by their caps, the doors .I and K in the floor C andthe \doors b in the gables being also closed and the tobacco-leaves hung on the sticks E, there being from two to four leaves on each pin e, :oo

which are passed through the butts of the stems, fires are made in theiire-boxes and the compartment below the removable iioor containing the tobacco kept at a temperature of--about 80 Fahrenheit until the leaves are yellow. Then open the ventilators and the doors in the floor and gable ends and increasethe fires in the boxes. Under this treatment the tobacco will cure yellow and smooth. Tobacco cured bythis method is much sweeter than when cured in the ordinary m'anner on the stalk, as the nicotine and bitter principles seem partially removed from the stalks thereby. This method of curing ilst can be carried on with great economy of Having described our invention, We claim- 1. In a tobacco-curing house, the combination, with an inclosing-frame, of a floor or horizontal partition C, dividing the said frame into an upper or Ventilating compartment and a lower or curing compartment con sisting of a series of independent removable sections provided with doors-J K, the lower or curing compartment being provided with heating-fines or other source of heat, and also provided with means, substantially as described, for suspending the tobacco-leaves, as set forth.

2. In a tobacco-curing house, the inclosing-V frame provided with a removable iioor or partition C, dividing the house into an upper or Ventilating compartment and a lower or curing compartment, said iioor or partition consisting ot' a series of independent removable sections having doors J K arranged substantially as described, the upper compartment having doors b and the lower compartment having the vertical series of beams D, the tobacco-leaf suspending-sticks E, ventilating-tubes H, having perforations in their sides and closed inner ends, the removable caps I for the tubes, and the heating-dues within the lower compartment, all arranged as set forth.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own we have hereunto affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM HENRY PCi/VER. .HENRY A'DOLPI-IUS POWER.

Witnesses:

D. E. DAVIDSON, RoBr. JAMI-EsoN. 

